The Philadelphia Phillies have their work cut out for them at the trade deadline.
If the last week of Phillies baseball is proving anything, it's that the offense isn't yet built for the postseason. They're getting no production with runners in scoring position, and if Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper aren't going deep, the offense seems destined to stagnate.
Center field has long been a position at which the Phillies have been ripe for an upgrade.
One baseball analyst believes 2025 will be the year in which they find that upgrade, though it's debatable how much of an upgrade the move he suggests would be.
On Tuesday, MLB Network's Greg Amsinger predicted that the Phillies would acquire Baltimore Orioles center fielder Cedric Mullins, a 2021 All-Star who will hit free agency at season's end.
"Cedric Mullins, I really chewed on this for a while, and I think the Phillies have to target him," Amsinger said. "They're getting no offensive production in center field, Marsh is a bottom-of-the-order guy, I get it, but when he gets on base, he's sort of base-to-base.
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"Cedric Mullins can give you some speed that they need desperately, because right now, when the Phillies aren't hitting home runs, they manufacture no offense at all."
Mullins, 30, is a hot-and-cold hitter. After a strong start, a slump over the last month has seen his OPS drop all the way to .710, giving him a league-average OPS+ of 100. His defense is polarizing as well; some metrics hate it (-15 defensive runs saved), while others like it (one out above average).
With a salary of $8.7 million, Mullins would be there for the taking if the 40-50 Orioles decided their shot at the playoffs was minimal enough to wave the white flag.
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